


A Secret Gift

by OrdinarilyBlue



Category: Carry On Series - Rainbow Rowell
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:00:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28054290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrdinarilyBlue/pseuds/OrdinarilyBlue
Summary: Baz decides he needs to get Simon a gift this year, but since they're enemies, he searches for a gift Simon will think Penelope bought for him.
Relationships: Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch/Simon Snow
Comments: 1
Kudos: 53





	A Secret Gift

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place towards the end of Watford, but before Carry On takes place. So, probably the year before.

It was Christmas yet again, and Baz was nervous. Never had it been so difficult for him to settle on a gift. What changed, of course, was that it was a gift for Snow. A gift Baz actually needed to put effort towards rather than the previous years’ gifts Baz had only bought to infuriate him. He wasn’t entirely sure why he felt the need to get Snow a gift this year. After all, they were still enemies and it wasn’t like either of them to care about the approaching end of them rooming together. Well, Baz supposed it wasn’t like Snow at least.

Baz, after thinking for what seemed like hours, finally narrowed it down to a scarf. He always felt cold seeing Snow dressed so cooly during the winter months. And a scarf is the least conspicuous--least significant--thing related he could think of. 

It was difficult to discern what Snow would like in a scarf. Baz had never seen him wear one, so he found it hard to imagine one on him. He supposed he could buy one Bunce or Agatha would be likely to get him. After all, that would help to ensure Snow never found out it was him who’d bought it. But Baz didn’t know much about the two. He knew Bunce was a fierce magician--enough so that they often competed for the top of the classes they shared-- and that others found her a bit odd, but not much else. Seeing as he didn’t know anything more about Agatha, he thought Bunce would be the safest bet.

After he had figured that much out, he had asked Bunce in class, “What types of scarves do you like? I’m having a hard time thinking about what kind of scarf I should buy for my sister.” Bunce looked at him, eyebrows raised high. Before she had a chance to respond, he added, “I heard you’re good at that kind of thing.”

She sat back in her chair and thought for a second. “I like scarves with patterns or mismatching colours. Nothing plain like gray or something like that.”

Baz thanked her and during winter break, headed out in search of a scarf similar to what Bunce mentioned. The first shop he visited was well-known for its seasonal clothing. As soon as he walked in, he was hit with the smell of fancy air fresheners.

“Hello, is there anything you’re looking for I can help you find today?” The woman behind the register asked as Baz took in the items surrounding him that screamed “expensive”. No way would Snow believe Bunce bought him a €100+ scarf. 

“Good afternoon,” Baz replied politely. “I was hoping you might know of any stores with,” he paused to search for the correct words, “odd scarfs you could direct me to?” 

She pointed him to a few shops nearby and one further into the city. None of them had quite what he was looking for. Just before he was about to give up, a shop with obsessive Christmas decorations and busy windows filled with small trinkets. He couldn’t place why, but he felt like he would find something perfect for Snow there.

Walking in, he let his eyes search before he moved; the store was as busy inside as it was in the window. Small toys and trinkets covered the shelves, a miniature train model circling an even smaller model town covered in snow and Christmas decorations. Baz felt warm. The kind of warmth that came from a place filled with love. Which is to say, it gave him a disquieting feeling. He couldn’t help but be reminded of the nights spent quietly watching Snow. The time spent longing for more.

Baz swallowed his unease and began to browse the shelves, searching for a clothing section. It took him a bit to find it in the very back corner of the shop. There, he found clothes with funky, mismatched colours and patterns. Perfect. Out of the small selection of scarves, Baz picked out a white scarf with a triangle pattern as blue as Snow’s eyes. 

He brought it to the man behind the register. Baz looked behind the man at the large shelf spanning the whole back wall of the counter. A sign on it read “Specialty Figures”. It was filled with figures of dragons, magicians, animals, historical people, and general fantasy figures. 

“Can I also get that?” Baz asked, pointing to a figure behind the man. 

He turned around and picked up the figure Baz pointed at. “This one?” Baz nodded. He bought the scarf and the figure, sparing a last look at the densely packed shop before he left. Hopefully, he thought to himself, Snow won’t care too much that these gifts will be late.

\------

Simon returned to Watford from Agatha’s house a day before classes started back up. He walked up to his and Baz’s shared room and noticed Baz’s stuff was there. He heaved a sigh, starting towards his bed. He stopped midway when his eye caught a gift bag sitting on his bedside table. 

His first thought was that it could be from Baz, which is to say, it could be a trap. He took slow steps toward it, halfway expecting something to pop out of the bag as he got close. He eventually reached the bag and peered inside it. Simon took a small box from the bag and turned it around in his hands to inspect it. 

He opened the lid of the box. Inside it sat an odd white scarf with blue triangles. Under it sat a small figure of a magician. He thought the figure looked an awful lot like him, standing uncomfortably with a wand in hand, bronze hair, and when he looked close enough even blue eyes. He thought the only person to find such oddities would be Penny. She always seemed to bring the weirdest things back to Watford after Christmas break. If the gift were from Baz, Simon would probably already be hit with a spell.

Simon tried the scarf on and looked in the mirror. It looked awful, but at least it was warm. He laid the figure next to the bag and left to go thank Penny for the gift.


End file.
